Extensible and retractible support for trays and the like



H. J. COHN April 13, 1965 EXTENSIBLE AND RETRACTIBLE SUPPORT FOR TRAYS AND THE LIKE Filed March 5, 1962 INVENTOR.

A fro/ 45 V United States Patent 3,178,034 EXTENSIBLE AND RETRACTiBLE SUPIPSRT FOR TRAYS AND THE LEKE Harold J. Cohn, 1205 Congress Ave, Houston, Tex. Filed Mar. 5, 1962, Ser. No. 177,460 1 Claim. (61. 211131) This invention relates to an extensible and retractible support device for supporting a tray or similar article for movement to an extended position for use and to a retracted or storage position.

The invention may be used for a number of different purposes for the supporting of articles, which are to be moved to an outwardly extending position relative to a supporting structure for use and to an out-of-the-way or storage position relative to such structure, and finds particular utility in connection with the supporting of a tray, or the like, to allow the same to be retained within an article of furniture, such as a bureau drawer to allow the drawer to be closed with the tray inside of the drawer or to be placed in an extended position in front of and below the upper edge of the front wall of the drawer to hold articles, such as cosmetics in a convenient position of access. 1

The invention has for an important object the provision of a support by which a tray may be supported for horizontal swinging movement to a retracted position and to an extended position relative to a drawer and embodying vertically extensible means whereby the tray may be elevated to clear the upper edge of the front wall of the drawer and lowered to position the tray inside of and below such upper edge of the drawer to allow the drawer to be opened and closed with the tray in its retracted position.

Another object of the invention is to provide a support of the kind of referred to embodying a tubular, multipart, telescoping post adapted to be secured to the inside of the front wall of a drawer and to which a tray, or other desired article, may be attached to allow the tray to be placed in a retracted, lowered position in the drawer or to be elevated by extension of the part to clear the upper edge of the drawer front to allow the tray to be swung horizontally to a position out of the drawer and lowered in front of the drawer.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a extensible, telescoping post structure for a support of the type mentioned, which is of simple design and eco nomical manufacture, and in which means is provided for holding the parts of the post against separation when the post is extended.

The above and other important objects and advantages of the invention may best be understood from the following detailed description constituting a specification of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings illustrating a preferred embodiment of the invention.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a central, cross section view of a drawer of an article of furniture such as a bureau, showing the support device in position thereon to support a tray for movement into and out of the drawer;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary top plan view of the invention as illustrated in FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 3 is a central, vertical cross section view, on an enlarged scale, showing structural drawn details of the support device of the invention.

Referring now to the drawings in clearer details, the invention is illustrated herein in connection with its use for supporting a tray like container on a bureau drawer, for movement to retraotive position inside of and below the upper edge of the drawer, to allow the drawer to be opened and closed without interference, and to an extended position in front of the front wall of the drawer, to hold any desired articles in a convenient position of access. The invention may be used for supporting any desired articles for convenient access or in a stored position within a drawer, or some other supporting structure, and in the present illustration is designed for use for the holding of various kinds of cosmetics in a position for easy access by the user or in anout-of-the-way position within a bureau drawer when such articles are not required for use.

In the present illustration, the invention is shown ap plied to a suitable supporting structure such as a bureau drawer, generally designated B, or the like, which may have the usual front wall W, to which the support of the invention is secured.

The support of the invention includes a vertical, multipart, tubular, vertically extensible post 10, made up of several telescopingly arranged tubular parts 12, 14 and 16. The innermost part 16, formed with an externally enlarged end portion 18 and the part 14 is similarly provided with an externally enlarged end portion 20, while the outermost part 12 is of substantially uniform diameter throughout its length, The external enlargement 18 of the innermost part is of a size to slidably fit within the part 14 while the externally enlarged portion 20 of the part 14 is of a size slidably fitting within the outermost part 12, so that the inner part 18 may be extended upwardly longitudinally relative to the par-ts 12 and 14 and the part 14 may extend upwardly relative to the outermost part 12.

The part 14 is also provided near its support end with a radially inwardly extending, annular projection 22, through which the innermost part 16 is slidably extended, and with which the lower end enlargement 18 of the innermost part is engageable, to limit the upward vertical movement of the innermost part relative to the part 14. The outermost part 12 is similarly provided with a radially inwardly extended armular projection 24 near its upper end, through which the part 14 is slidably extended, and with which the lower end enlargement 20 of the part 14 is engageable to limit the upward vertical movement of part 14 relative to the outermost part 12.

It will be apparent that by thus constructing the parts the innermost part 16 may be extended upwardly relative to the part 14, until the enlargement 18 engages the annular projection or rib 22, whereupon the innermost part 16 and the part 14 may then be extended upwardly relative to the outwardly part 12 until the enlargement 20 engages the projection or rib 24. The innermost part 16 and the part 12 may also be lowered into their innermost positions within the inner part 12 as illustrated in FIG- URE 3, when the post is in its fully retracted position.

The innermost part 16 carries at its upper end a bracket 26, a Z-shape in cross section, whose upper flange is attached at its outer end to the upper end of the inner most part, and to whose lower flange a tray 28, or other receptacle is attached, to hold the tray horizontal in all positions of the tray relative to the drawer.

The post 10 is attached to the inside of the front wall W of the drawer B, in a vertically upright position, as by means of a U-shaped clip 30, whose arms are outturned at their outer ends for engagement with the inner face of the wall W, these outer ends being perforated for the insertion therethrough of suitable fastening means such as the screws 32, by which the clip is fastened to the wall.

With the support device thus attached to the drawer, it will be apparent that the tray 28 may be positioned inside of the drawer, below the upper edge of the drawer, as seen in FIGURES 1 and 2, so that the drawer may be closed or opened Without interference. When it is desired to make use of the articles in the tray, the drawer B may be pulled open and the tray lifted vertically to extend the post upwardly until the tray clears the upper edge of the drawer whereupon the tray may be swung to a positionoutwardly of the drawer in front of the front wall W, the innermost part 16 of the post being rotated thereby, and the tray may then be lowered to engage the lower face of the upper arm of the bracket 26-with the upper edge of the wall W to hold the tray in its extended position as illustrated in dotted lines in FIGURE 1. With the tray thus extended the articles, such as cosmetics, in the tray are in a position of easy'access to the user.

When the articles in the tray 28 are no longer needed the tray may again be elevated to clear the upper edge of the wall W, and the tray then swung inwardly over the wall and lowered into the drawer to its stored position, whereupon the drawer may be closed Without interference.

It will also be apparent that by constructing the parts of the extensible posts as described above, the parts may be easily assembled by inserting them one within the other from the bottom, and when so assembled the parts cannot become accidentally separated or disassembled.

It will thus be seen that the invention provides an eX- tendible and retractible support by which trays or other similar articles may be attached to the furniture or other suitable supporting structures for movement to extended or retracted positions, whereby numerous items may be held in a position of easy access or stored away when not required for use.

The invention is discussed herein in connection with a specific embodiment of the same, but it will be understood that this is intended by way of illustration only, and that numerous changes can be made in the construction and arrangement of the various parts, within the spirit and scope of the invention.

Having thus clearly shown and described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to secure by Letters Patent is:

4 Mechanism for movably supporting an object from a supporting structure having a vertically disposed wall for movement into and out of positions on opposite sides of and below the upper edge of the wall comprising inner and outer telescopingly arranged tubular parts, means for securing said outer part to the wall in an upright position at one side of the wall a connecting member of z-shape having a vertically disposed web, one flange of said member benig connected at its outer end to the upper end of said inner part and the other flange thereof being disposed below said one flange and connected'to said object to cause the object to move with said inner part to move the object vertically from a lower position on one side of and below said edge toan upper position on said one side and above said edge upon upward movement of the inner part relative to the outer part, said object being movable 'from said upper position on said one side to an upper position on said other side upon rotational movement of the inner part relative to the outer part with said object above said edge and said upper flange being engageable with said edge to limit downward movement of the object from said upper position on said other side.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,256,377 2/18 Salles 248--214 1,976,034 10/ 4 Poetsch l0832 2,196,024 4/40 North 2061O 2,354,938 8/44 Borah 21194 2,587,111 2/52 Cashen 211-94 X CLAUDE A. LE ROY, Primary Examiner.

FRANK L. ABBOTT, Examiner. 

